Water-meter



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. WELLS.

WATER METER.

No. 273,204. Patilflted Feb..27, 1883.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. WELLS.

WATER METER.

(No Model.)

Patented Feb; 27, 1883.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. WELLS. WATER METER.

Nq.2'73,204. Patented Feb. 27, 1883."

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

XVILLIAM WELLS, OF NEW PROVIDENCE, NEW JERSEY.

WATER-METER. w

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 273,204, dated February 27, 1883,.

Application filed January 31, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WELLS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Providence, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water-Meters; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to water-meters; and the novelty consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a water-meter which shall be operated by the force of the water being measured; and it con- I sists in the mechanisms fully illustrated in the ment of the cylinder-heads and their ports;

Fig.2, a transverse section through the line as :r of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a transverse section of the cylinders through the line 51 g in Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a horizontal section through the line 2 z of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a longitudinal section through the line '0 'v of Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a transverse. section through the lines to to, Fig. l; and Fig. 7, a longitudinal section taken through the center of one of the cylinders on the line to u of Fig. 1. In Figs. 2, 4:, 5, 6, and 7 the pistons are shown in the cylinders in difi'erent positions.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures, A and A represent two parallel cylinders, each bored out at each end to a perfect cylinder for a distance greater than the stroke of the piston-valves which operate therein, as shown at a, and having an enlarged central portion, A which forms the main water-chamber. Secured to these cylindersA A are removable cylinder-heads B, as shown at a, and formed upon these cylinders is a chamber, A partially surrounding the same, opposite the bored-out portion or ring a. These cylinders A A are formed of a single casting,

and are provided with a chamber, B, between chamber B connects with the interior of each cylinder by means of ports b b, and with the segmental chambers A A by means of ports b b, the said chambers A in turn connecting with their appropriate cylinders by means of the ports b b, arranged opposite or nearly opposite the ports I) b.

Formed upon the bottom of the main casting is the water-chamber 0, having inductionpipe c,which leads from the street-main or its branch to the chamber B, and having also eduction-ports c whicl1 connect the chamber 0 with the central chamber, A of each cylinder, an eduction-pipe, c,leading from the chamher 0 to the service pipe or faucet, and being adapted to convey the measured water.

It will be observed that while the rings a are perfect cylinders the main chambers A open into each other above the chamber B, and are of greater diameter than the said rings a. D represents the piston -valve which operates iu the cylinder A, and D the piston-valve which serves similarly in the cylinder A, and they are composed of barrels with open inner ends, said barrels being rigidly connected in each piston by a framing, d d, the bar. 01 of which isprovided with segmental recesses d. Each of these barrels or piston heads is provided with a partition, (1 forming a chamber which embraces the passage-ports ot the piston-heads. These pistons serve as valves as well as pistons,and for the clear understanding of the construction, and for convenience, I will designate them hereinafter as pistons, and the barrels as piston-heads. The water, under force, passing through the induction-pipe a into the chamber B, when the piston D has completed its stroke, as seen in Fig. 7, and the piston-port d and cylinder-port I) register, will further pass through the piston-portal and cylinder-port d", these latter ports, 01 d registering at the same time, and thence through the port e into the passage E, thence under the way H and across the cylinder-head B, and through the port a, behind the piston D in the othercylinder. The piston D remains in the position shown in Fig. 7 until the piston tog 2 waeoa holds thatpiston in fixed position until the rear recess, of the bar d of the piston D allows the said spool to move across and occupy the recess last named. quantity-which occupied the space between the head of the piston D and the head of the cylinder A, by the traverse of said piston,is forced do'wn through the port at into the waterway H, across the head B, through the cylinder ports m and on, through the pistonport m and into the main water-chamberA thence out at into the chamber 0, and therefrom into the service-pipe c. As soon as this piston D has completed its stroke and lies parallel with the piston D, both at the same end of the cylinders, the port it at that end of the cylinder registers with the piston-port a, the water ftom the supply, through the. chamber B and piston-head, passes out at n through the cylinder ports a it, into the chamber E, under the water-way H at 6, across the cylinder-head, up through the'port e behind the head of the piston I), which is then forced to make its return-stroke.

It will how be observed that the water contained in the head B, in front of the piston D, must be forced into the service-pipe c, and this is accomplished as follows: As the piston D makes its returntraverse the said water is forced down through the port It into the waterway H,thence through the cylinder-ports h if, thence up through the piston -port h which now registers with the port k into the pistonp'assage H, down through the passage h and into the main water-chamber- A which is of greater diameter than the piston-head at that point, down through the port 0 and through the chamber (J, into and through the servicepipe 0. 7

As thus described, I have set forth the operation of each of the cylinders and pistons, and these operations are continued thus automatically as long as the water, under force, acts as a motive power. As soon asthepiston D has completed its traverse the spool I unlocks the piston D, theportoregisters with the cylinder-portm the water from the feed-chamber B passes freely through the ports 0 0 and 0 m through the port m, through the water-way H, across the head B, and up through the passage m, behind the piston D, which then com mencesits returnstroke, the water displaced bysuch stroke passing through the port 0 into the water-way E, across the head, through the ports 0, d7, and 0 out into the main chamber A and thence through chamber 0, to the supply. The cylinders, rings, and cylinder-heads are formed alike at both ends, and the pistons only in the arrangement of their ports differ. \Vhen the piston D makes its next traverse the water displaced by such traverse passes down through the port 9 in to the passage E, across the head, through the ports a a into the piston-port 19, through the passage P, and out into the main chamber A through the port 1), which is then uncovered. In the traverse of the pistons the ports are closed, the one at rest being the only The water--an ascertained one which allows the induction of water; and to prevent the force of the water from the inletports b causing friction and wear upon the opposite side of the piston and cylinder, I provide a means for balancing the pressure, consisting of a chamber, A formed in the casting, a port, 1), connecting said chamber with the chamber B, and a port, b opening therefrom into the cylinder.

I attach importance to the means for locking either piston until the other has made its complete stroke, to the means for automatically balancing the pistons against lateral pressure, and to the arrangement of ports and construe tion of pistons, as is fully illustrated and described.

The bars (1 of the pistons operate between guides z, formed in the frame 1, which carries the loose spool I, and these guides serve to prevent the pistons from turning in their bearings.

It will of course be understood that the device is provided with any suitable register, operated by any proper means.'

What I claim as new is- 1. In a watermeter, reciprocating pistons having segmental recesses, and a loose spool adapted to allow the traverse ot' a piston only when the said recesses are opposite each other, whereby one piston is firmly locked in position by positive mechanical means until the other has completed its stroke, substantially as specified.

2. In combination with the pistons D D, having recesses d, the frame I, having guides t' and the loose spool I, as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a water-meter,and in combination with a central feed chamber having open connections with duplex cylinders, the pistons D D, and a removable cylinder head having waterways which cross each other, whereby each piston serves to direct the water behind the other piston, substantially as set forth.

4. In a water-meter, the removable heads B, having water ways H and E, crossing each other, as shown, the cylinders A A, and cham 'ber B, having ports, substantially as described,

and the pistons D D, having ports and waterways, as shown, and the whole combined and adapted toserve as ,set forth.

5. In combination with the water chest B, and cylinders having connections therewith, the pistons having waterpassages, and the removable heads having water ways E H, which cross each other, as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a water-meter, the piston-heads having partitions d to form tight waterpassages 01", and adapted to serve as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereofI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM WELLS.

Witnesses:

H. CLAY SMITH, GEO. (J. WooLEY. 

